Tuesday, June 30, 2009

The constant droning foghorn din that was audible during every single Confederations Cup match was the result of an instrument known as a vuvuzela. The noisy plastic trumpets are very popular in South Africa, and are often blown by home fans in a frantic attempt to “kill off” the opposition.

Not only are they irritating, but they could also be used as a weapon, and perhaps a cynical instrument of marketing by opportunist companies who plaster their logos all over them.

After crashing out to the USA amidst a deafening chorus, Xabi Alonso made his views on the vuvuzela clear: “I think they should be banned. We’re used to when people shout but not to this trumpet noise which doesn’t allow you to concentrate and is unbearable.”

Alonso’s Spanish team-mates obviously didn’t share his opinions, as these pictures from Madrid Airport show. Fernando Torres must have been a particular fan of the insufferable noise, as he was proudly carrying two of them on his trolley.

Many have asked for vuvuzelas to be banned during World Cup 2010, but in-touch-with-the-people FIFA President Sepp Blatter opposes the idea, saying we should not try and “Europeanise” the World Cup.

1 Opinion(s):

These things will never take off in Europe. We like to actually concentrate on WATCHING the game, not trying to see how much noise we can make... How hard it is to watch a match while blowing one of those things anyway??